Keeping An Open Mind
by GryffindorCriss
Summary: Tina was about to retort when there was a loud sob from the hallway; anger quickly fading, the two of them quickly rushed out of the front room to see what was the matter. They were both surprised to see their youngest daughter curled up outside the door, face buried in her knees as she wailed.
1. Chapter 1

**Set in August 1945.**

 **Phoenix – 14 (just finished 3rd year at Hogwarts)  
Linnet – 12 (just finished 1st year at Hogwarts)  
Leo – 10  
Wren – 4 **

**A/N: Reminder that, at four years old, Wren's vocab is of course going to be limited/repetitive – so if it seems like she's repeating the same words, that's why.**

* * *

The argument had been over something rather silly, really – but in that moment, it seemed perfectly reasonable for her to be annoyed at her husband's complete lack of self-preservation.

"Damn it, Newt, it could have taken your arm off!"

Newt was rather unconcerned as he patted his bandaged shoulder. "It wouldn't have done that – I was fully in control, Tina, I assure you-"

"I had to stun a fully-grown Nundu," Tina seethed. "And you say you were 'in control'? Mercy Lewis, Newt, I come home from work to find the kids _screaming_ and _you_ with half your arm torn off! You could have been _killed_."

"The Nundu's been living in my case for decades," He disagreed. "He wouldn't have actually tried to kill me…it's my fault, really, for intruding while he was taking a nap-"

"Yes!" She snarled, clenching her fists. "You're a _Magizoologist_ – you should _know_ not to go into a dangerous creature's habitat while it's _sleeping_!"

Newt frowned at her. "I had no choice, Tina, he's sick and needs help; the only time I've been able to get close enough has been while he's sleeping. I don't see why you're so angry."

"I'm _angry_ because you nearly lost your arm," Tina snapped. "All four of our children saw it – Wren is probably going to have nightmares, and the other three were _terrified_. What do you expect me to do, Newt? Pretend that it didn't happen?"

Her husband just shook his head, looking somewhat annoyed. "Alright, yes, perhaps I shouldn't have let the children near the Nundu's habitat while I checked him over; I admit that it was a slight misjudgement on my part. But you're overreacting just a tad."

"Don't you dare accuse me of overreacting!" She bit out, glaring at him. "The Nundu had your arm in its mouth, your shirt is covered in blood, and I had to spend half-an-hour calming down a crying four-year-old. I love you, Newt, but you're so infuriating sometimes!"

"Tina-"

"You don't think about these things," Tina interrupted angrily. "We have four children – did you once think of them when you were entering the Nundu habitat? You can't be so cavalier with your life anymore; you could have lost your arm – you could have _died_!"

Newt exhaled heavily, clearly rather irritated. "I wouldn't have died – I don't make such a fuss when you go out on missions, do I? And you could certainly have died on one of those!"

"It's my _job_ -"

" _This_ is _my_ job!"

Tina was about to retort when there was a loud sob from the hallway; anger quickly fading, the two of them quickly rushed out of the front room to see what was the matter. They were both surprised to see their youngest daughter curled up outside the door, face buried in her knees as she wailed.

"Wren, honey," Tina's voice was much softer as she bent down to take her daughter into her arms. "What's the matter?"

The girl just shook her head, struggling to pull away. "Can't… _hurts_ , Mummy…"

Newt was on his knees in an instant, carefully looking over her for any injuries. "What's wrong? Come on, let me take a look at you…"

"It _hurts_ ," Wren choked out, and she was clutching her head. "Heard you fighting, so I came down and…and it _hurts_!"

"Maybe we should take her to a Healer," Newt muttered, watching as his wife tried to hold their daughter still. "Perhaps she fell coming down the stairs…I didn't hear anything though…"

 _To be fair, we were arguing rather loudly_.

"Too _loud_ ," Wren cried, shoulders shaking. "It _hurts_ , Mummy, it _hurts_!"

There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs and then their older three children appeared, looking somewhat dishevelled and shocked. Linnet immediately jumped from the second step, kneeling down by her sister worriedly.

"What's wrong, Wren?" She asked, hesitantly putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Did you have a bad dream again?"

But then Wren _screamed_ , kicking out and trying to back away. "NO! STOP!"

Phoenix was gnawing on his lip anxiously. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Is she dying?" Leo questioned nervously; he had rushed down the stairs so quickly that he had forgotten his glasses, and he had to squint at his parents to see them.

The four-year-old suddenly pressed herself into Tina's chest, burying her face into her blouse and clenching her hands into fists. "You were _so_ angry, Mummy," She stated tearfully. "And…where is Daddy going? He…You…"

Newt was about to suggest taking her to see a Healer again when he noticed Tina freeze; she looked utterly _horrified_ all of a sudden, and her grip on their daughter tightened significantly. "What? What is it?"

"She…" Her voice was weak, as if it didn't belong to her. "When we were arguing, I was thinking about how, if you'd been seriously injured…I'd have been left alone with four children."

"I don't understand. How could she have…"

And then it hit him.

" _Merlin's beard_."

Wren's sobs were quietening now into sniffles as she pressed herself against her mother. "Still hurts, Mummy – don't want it to hurt!"

Phoenix and Linnet both looked rather puzzled still, but Leo's mouth was pressed in a firm line as he looked down at their sister. "She's like Auntie Queenie, isn't she?"

"We don't know that for certain," Newt said quickly, but he looked rather uncomfortable. "You three should go back to bed now – your Mum and I have this under control."

"That's what he said about the Nundu," Phoenix muttered under his breath, but he started to retreat up the stairs with his brother nonetheless.

Linnet was still on the floor, looking worried. "I wanna make sure she's okay, Dad."

"I know, but she'll be fine," He reassured her, helping her up. "Come on now, leave this to me and Mum – your sister will be up shortly."

The twelve-year-old still didn't look particularly happy about being sent to bed, but she went back upstairs all the same. Once he was certain she was gone, Newt turned back to his wife and younger daughter hesitantly.

"Tina…"

"Queenie had an episode just like this when we were kids," She murmured, and her eyes were glistening. "We heard our parents arguing once, and she just started _screaming_. They didn't know what was wrong with her, and they had to take her to a doctor… They only _suspected_ at that point, but…"

Wren lifted her head, looking up at her mother with wide eyes. "You're _hurting_ , Mummy," She whispered. "And now _I_ hurt too."

Tina looked like she was about to burst into tears; Newt gently placed a hand on their daughter's back, trying to coax her to look at him. "Alright, Wren…I think perhaps a mug of hot cocoa might make you feel better."

Her face lit up at the mention of hot cocoa. "Okay!"

* * *

Wren seemed to calm down considerably after a mug of hot cocoa, though she still looked rather pale and sad. Newt watched her as she finished her drink, silently debating as to what he could say to possibly make things seem better.

"Mummy was upset with me," His daughter announced suddenly.

"She wasn't upset with you," He disagreed. "I think she's more upset about…other things."

 _Like the fact our youngest daughter is most likely a Legilimens_.

She wrinkled her nose. "What's a Le..Legil…"

"Don't worry," Newt said quickly. "It's not important… How are you feeling now?"

"Okay," Wren mumbled, looking down at the table. "You were both really _angry_. It hurt."

He sighed, wondering how he was going to explain this to a four-year-old. "I know. I'm sorry that it made you feel that way. We didn't think…We thought that you four were all in bed."

She shrugged, tracing a pattern on the wood of the table with her finger. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, of course not," Newt assured her, forcing himself to smile. "Your Mummy and I are just glad that you're okay now."

Wren looked at him, somewhat curiously, and frowned. "You were fighting; Mummy was sad and worried 'bout you because you got bitten. It _hurt_ my head."

"I'm sorry," He apologized, feeling his heart sink. "We didn't mean to hurt you. We didn't know that it would…well." He gave a sigh, rubbing his temple; it was so much to take in, but he had to keep a clear head for _her_ sake now. "I think you'll feel better if you get some sleep."

She nodded, hopping down from her seat and letting him take her by the hand; she was quiet as he led her upstairs and to her bedroom, simply watching him with wide eyes. He tucked her in, making sure she had her favourite stuffed bear by her side, before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Night, Daddy," Wren yawned as he went to leave. "Love you too."

He stopped in the doorway for just a moment, unable to help the sudden gnawing feeling that had formed in his stomach; if the way Tina had reacted was any indication, things were _not_ looking good at all.

* * *

Tina had retreated to the front room when he'd taken their daughter to the kitchen, and she was still there now when he came back downstairs; she had her knees brought into her chest, and she was looking at the floor miserably from her perch on the sofa.

"She's back in bed," Newt informed her quietly, pausing before taking a seat beside her. "I have to say, this was…unexpected."

She started to gnaw on her lip, clearly anxious. "Queenie used to get _awful_ headaches," She muttered. "It took a long time for her to be able to cope with big crowds…her first day at Ilvermorny, she nearly collapsed because it was _too_ much for her." She gave a small sniff. "I don't want that to be Wren, Newt. I _don't_."

"No, neither do I," He agreed weakly. "But it appears that we don't have a say, really."

"I can't watch her suffer like that," Tina said sadly, shaking her head. "I watched Queenie suffer for years before she managed to have _some_ control over it – I can't watch Wren get distressed like that too…the headaches, the breakdowns…and some of the things she would _hear_ …"

Newt couldn't help but feel unwell at the thought; he was aware that many men had thought inappropriate things about his sister-in-law, how she had seen the very worst of people, and it made him feel _sick_ to imagine their daughter having to experience the same thing. "I know, Tina, I know. We'll take her to a Healer as soon as possible, surely they'll have a potion or something to help her-"

"We can't put a four-year-old on those kind of potions," She disagreed, less angry than distraught. "Queenie took one at Ilvermorny for her first year, and they apparently made her feel like her eyes had been pulled out…she felt so uneasy and depressed and…and she wasn't herself at all."

He thought of Wren – curious, happy, bubbly little Wren – and had to supress a shudder at the thought of her taking a substance that would change her in such a way. "Yes…I suppose that's true. We'll still bring her to a Healer, though, if only to give us a proper diagnosis." He hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, wanting to offer her comfort but somewhat unsure as to how even now after several years of marriage. "Queenie only had you, really, didn't she? But Wren will have both of _us_ and Queenie – we'll know what to look out for in advance, so perhaps we can make things easier for her."

"Yes," Tina admitted. "I suppose that's true. I just…I wish she wasn't, Newt. I don't want her to _suffer_."

"I know, love," Newt sighed, putting an arm around her. "Neither do I."

* * *

Perhaps it was silly to want to check on the children before she went to sleep, but Tina couldn't help it; it had become a routine for her, quietly making sure they were safe and sound before heading to bed herself. She was more than aware that she was being paranoid, but at the same time it gave her some comfort to just see for herself that they were safe and well for herself.

It was nice to have Phoenix and Linnet back from Hogwarts for the summer; they both loved school, of course, and she enjoyed reading their letters home…but she did _miss_ them when they left. The house had been quiet with both of them gone and no longer bantering, and she knew that Newt became withdrawn whenever they left because he felt the same.

Phoenix, fresh from his third year at school, was nearly as tall as Newt – and already so grown-up. His voice had broken sometime between Christmas and the Summer holidays, and she'd been more than a little surprised to hear him speaking with a deeper voice when he'd come home; to add, he was starting to fill out somewhat – he was hoping to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, he'd told his parents. When Tina went to check on him that evening, she smiled somewhat sadly as she brushed a hand against his cheek; he had the barest hint of stubble already, another sign that he would be a grown man before too long. Part of her wished that he could have stayed small and sweet forever – it was something her sister had shared about her own eldest son, Toby, and it was only now that Tina was really starting to understand.

Linnet, having just finished her first year, hadn't gone through those kinds of changes just yet – but it wouldn't be long at all. She still wore her hair long, pulling it back whenever she was thinking hard, and there was still a childish stubbornness to her: Tina was thankful that she hadn't changed too much, not yet. She brushed back the strands of hair from Linnet's face and pressed a kiss to her cheek before moving on.

Unsurprisingly, Leo was asleep still wearing his glasses and with a book clasped in one hand; Tina couldn't help but smile fondly when she noticed that it was none other than _Fantastic Beasts_. She carefully removed his glasses from his face, putting them on his side-table, took the book from his hand to put beside them, and then used her wand to dim the lamplight. He twitched slightly but didn't wake when she brushed the messy ruddy hair from his forehead and kissed him goodnight.

Admittedly, part of her was somewhat afraid of entering her youngest daughter's room now; she knew that there was nothing to be afraid of _really_ , but the fact that her youngest child was a Legilimens was disconcerting on a number of levels. All the same, she quietly opened the door to look into the bedroom; Wren was curled up in bed, knees tucked to her chest and hand tightly clutching her favourite teddy. There were a number of books and toys left on the floor; Tina stepped into the bedroom and started to point her wand at the various things, sending them floating back to shelves and drawers.

"Mummy?"

She jerked at the sudden voice; the books that had been moving through the air tumbled to the floor with a loud clatter. When she turned to look, she saw that her daughter was sitting up in bed and watching her curiously. "Wren…I was just… What are you doing still awake?"

"Couldn' sleep," Wren mumbled, looking rather miserable. There was a long moment where she paused, clearly thinking to herself hard, before looking up. "Mummy…do you _hate_ me?"

"What?!" Tina frowned, taking a step forwards. "Wren, what would make you think that?"

She hunched her shoulders, looking down at the floor. "Because…you were angry, and then when I was crying and I told you 'bout hearing you thinking, you got really sad and _hurt_. I know because I _hurt_ too."

"Oh…Oh, Wren, no," She sighed, sitting down on the bed beside her. "Of course I don't hate you. I'm sorry if I got angry or sad earlier, it's just that…that things are difficult sometimes."

"I did something wrong," Wren mumbled, wrapping her arms around her mother. "I know I did, because otherwise you and Daddy wouldn' be so unhappy."

"No," She denied, pulling her into a hug; it reminded her of what she had done with Queenie so many times as children, comforting her and assuring her. "No, Wren, you haven't done anything wrong at all; Daddy and I still love you very much, and we always will."

The four-year-old was quiet for a moment, sniffling as she pressed herself into her mother. "I'm _scared_ , Mummy. I don't understand it…everything feels _too much_. It makes my head hurt."

"Yes," Tina agreed. "It probably does. You know what, Wren? I don't really understand _everything_ either, but that's okay because we'll work on it: you, me, Daddy…and Auntie Queenie will help too."

Wren sniffled, nodding somewhat uncertainly as she clutched at her. "O-Okay. I love you, Mummy."

Her stomach felt like it was made of lead as she pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter's forehead and closed her eyes. "I love you too. Don't ever think that I don't."

* * *

 **I'M SORRY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME**

 **Maybe it's unbelievable that Wren would be a Legilimens like Queenie, but…as far as we know, neither of the Goldstein parents had it. Perhaps it's a recessive gene? I don't know.**


	2. Chapter 2

**You all said that you wanted more, so…** **😉 Here it is!**

 **Set in August 1945.**

 **Phoenix – 14 (just finished 3rd year at Hogwarts)  
Linnet – 12 (just finished 1st year at Hogwarts)  
Leo – 10  
Wren – 4 **

**Toby – 15 (nearly 16) (just finished 4th year at Hogwarts)  
Daisy – 14 (just finished 3rd year at Hogwarts)  
Ruth and Abel – 11 (nearly 12) (about to start first year)  
Eli – 6  
Lucy – 3 (nearly 4)  
Penny – 2**

 **A/N: Lucy is the baby that Queenie was pregnant with at the end of Stitch by Stitch and Penny is a baby that Jacob and Queenie adopted – I'm going to write fics about these things later.**

* * *

"I'm sorry."

Tina frowned at him, fingers stilling on the buttons on her blouse; she had been getting ready for work, and she hadn't even realized that her husband was awake. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Newt repeated, watching her carefully. "For last night."

It took her a moment to realize just what he meant – and then she remembered their argument last night; she had understandably forgotten in light of recent events. "It's fine. I'm not angry anymore."

He sat up in bed, looking unconvinced; his arm was still bandaged from the incident with the Nundu the afternoon before and probably still somewhat painful, but he ignored it. "It's not fine…I'm sorry, Tina, I really am. I…I wasn't thinking," He admitted. "When I approached the Nundu, I wasn't thinking about the children – I wasn't thinking about _you_ – and that was incredibly selfish of me."

Tina sat down on the bed, finishing doing up the buttons on her work blouse before looking at him again. "Maybe. I'm not really bothered about that anymore, Newt – there's other things I'm worried about." She paused, considering her words. "Having said that…I'm sorry too: perhaps I did overreact just a tad. I know that you have things under control in the case usually, but…but it _scared_ me when I saw you covered in blood, especially when the children were crying and panicking."

"I'm sorry for that too," Newt muttered, and he appeared truly guilty. "I never want you to worry or be scared, Tina, not on my account. It's my fault that Wren…" He swallowed, suddenly looking pained. "If I hadn't been so irresponsible then we wouldn't have argued and Wren wouldn't have been so _overwhelmed_. I wouldn't have _triggered_ her."

"Newt, don't." She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, much to his surprise. "Don't blame yourself – if anything, we're _both_ to blame for arguing like that." She sighed, lowering her head. "I'm just…I don't know what we're supposed to do. I mean, I know _Queenie_ will know what to do, but…I kinda feel bad about bothering her about it, and…and she'll feel awful when she finds out."

He just shook his head, however, looking rather certain. "No, Tina; I mean, she _might_ be a little bit upset at first – but she's already had to deal with this with two of her own children, so she's bound to know what to say to help…and I'm sure Wren could benefit from a talk too."

"I…I don't know," Tina sighed, gnawing on her lip anxiously. "I mean, two of her own children have it, and I know that she felt so awful after finding out – but she'll be so hurt if she thinks she's…she's to blame for Wren too."

"Tina, Queenie's your sister," Newt insisted. "She loves Wren, and I know that she'll want to help if she can…and she can, Tina. You know she can."

He had a point there; even though she couldn't help but feel slightly worried about asking her sister, it was sure to benefit their daughter – and, really, that was her top priority.

* * *

Queenie, of course, was immediately aware that something was not quite right when the Scamander family came to visit later that evening; whilst the older children settled in the garden to talk and the younger ones played with Jacob, Queenie sat down at the kitchen table with Newt and Tina, a serious look on her face.

"You're both stressed," She stated, and before they could argue she had flicked her wand towards the cupboard; three mugs floated out, and another well-aimed point of her wand made the kettle boil loudly. "Something's _wrong_ …with Wren?"

"Not _wrong_ ," Tina said hurriedly, casting a look to the kitchen door in case any of the children happened to be listening in. "Just…we need to talk to you, Queenie."

Her sister was silent as she finished the tea and coffee before sending it over to the table; she was clearly gathering what information she could from their minds as she took her seat – and then her face fell. " _Oh_. Oh, Teen…"

"It's fine," Tina assured her quickly, reaching out for her hand. "Honest, Queenie, we don't blame you at all."

"No," Newt agreed sincerely. "No one's to blame for it at all – it's probably some kind of…of recessive trait, I'd imagine."

"She had an episode last night," Queenie murmured, looking deeply upset by the news. "That must have been awful for her."

Tina's eyes were sad, but she was clearly steeling herself to stay strong. "Yeah, it was. But we handled it just fine – and we'll handle it even better if it happens again, now we know. Please, Queenie, don't feel bad about this."

"We wanted to ask you for some advice," Newt added hurriedly. "After all, not only have you been through it yourself, but two of your own children have too. Neither of us really understand _everything_ , and…and we want to do whatever we can to make sure she doesn't suffer."

His wife's shoulders tensed, but she said nothing. Queenie sat back in her chair, eyes downcast. "I see. Poor Wren…it's no fun, seeing and hearing everything about people. Not everyone's so nice all the time."

Newt swallowed the lump in his throat. "No. No, they're not – which is why we really need your help, Queenie. I know it's a fair amount to ask, and we don't want to burden you-"

"Newt, honey," The blonde interrupted. "I'd rather help than have her suffer – she's only a little girl, and she's gonna need as much support as possible. Of course I'll help."

"Thank you, Queenie," Tina muttered, and she truly looked relieved. "Really, it means a lot to us."

Queenie's smile was only somewhat strained as she gave a nod. "I know, Teen. Alright…it ain't easy," She confessed. "It's gonna be hard for everyone, really – I mean, you guys ain't gonna have a lot of privacy anymore, not when she can read and hear everything you think or feel. As for Wren…well, like I said, it's awful to have to put up with it all the time; you hear a lot of stuff you shouldn't."

"So what can we do to make things easier?" Newt questioned, watching his sister-in-law intently.

"Just…If she knows you guys ain't mad at her – that you know it's not her fault – then it'll be much easier for her to deal with. She'll get better at controlling it," Queenie affirmed. "It kinda develops as you learn more and more magic…until then, you've gotta let her know that you're not mad at her about it."

There was a long silence in the air that seemed to stretch uncomfortably; it was only as Tina reached for her mug, looking rather thoughtful, that Queenie sighed.

"Teen, don't think like that. I mean, you helped _me_ , remember?" She put a hand on her sister's arm, soft and understanding. "I know you were hurting a lot too when we were kids, but you was always there for me – you never got mad or tried to block me out. Really, Wren is so lucky to have you already."

"Queenie's right, Tina," Newt agreed quietly. "I mean, you…you practically raised each other as children, so you already know what to expect – you know how to look after her."

"See, Wren's got two parents," Queenie stated, and there was a hint of a smile on her face. "Two parents who love and adore her – she's got me and Jacob, she's got her brothers and sister, she's got cousins…she's got so much love and support already. I only had one person, Teen, and that was you."

Tina slowly nodded, and she reached out to squeeze her sister's hand; she knew that they had a point, that whilst Queenie had had only her, Wren would have so many more people to help her. It made her feel slightly better as she digested this information, though she still had her doubts.

"Wren will be fine, Teenie," Queenie assured her comfortingly. "I know she will."

And, truthfully, Tina found herself believing that.

* * *

"Hey, Wren!" Wren didn't even look up as Daisy approached, gazing down at the sun-warmed grass beneath her skirt sadly; her older cousin sat down beside her, giving her a smile and leaning back. "How come you're not playing?"

"Didn't feel like it."

"Alright. That's fine. Are you okay?"

Wren shrugged, eyes still lowered. "Guess so. Mummy and Daddy were fighting last night, and it hurt."

Daisy's smile faded quickly, mouth a firm line. "I see. It hurt?" The four-year-old nodded. "That must have been awful. What were they fighting about?"

"Daddy got bit, and Mummy was upset 'cause she thought he was hurt. She thought he was going away somewhere…I don't know. It started hurting before I got it all."

"Hmm. So…she was thinking this?" The older girl asked, and she frowned when her cousin nodded again. "You heard her thinking?"

"Her and Daddy," Wren agreed. "They were both angry and it hurt…it _really_ hurt, Daisy. I didn't like it."

Daisy softened, suddenly sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Wren. It's not fun seeing what other people are thinking about, is it?"

"No. I thought everyone could do it," She admitted. "But Mummy and Daddy started being weird, and I don't think they can. I don't think Linnet can either, or Phoenix and Leo." She paused before finally looking up, eyes wide. "Can _you_ hear, Daisy?"

"Yeah," She admitted, smiling half-heartedly. "Me and Abel…we're like our Ma, that's where we got it from. I think you got it from her too."

Wren tilted her head, clearly curious. "Auntie Queenie? I didn't know that. And Abel _never_ told me…wait, how come only you and Abel and me can do it, and no one else can?"

"I don't know," Daisy sighed, putting an arm around her. "But what you need to understand, Wren, is that it'll get easier, I promise. Me and Abel, we've gotten used to it now – the headaches and hurting stops, I promise you."

The two were silent for a moment, simply watching from afar as the other children played and chattered a distance away; finally, Wren bit her lip and gave a squirm. "How can I stop hearing it, Daisy? I don't wanna hear it – I wanna be normal."

"I know," The older girl murmured, voice barely louder than a whisper; for some reason, her eyes had started to glisten. "I…I didn't even tell my Ma and Pa, you know? I didn't understand, and I was _so_ afraid 'cause I knew it wasn't normal. I told your Ma before I told mine, 'cause I didn't want her getting upset…I thought it would make her real sad, especially seeing as Abel is one too. She was upset at first, but she said that she'd help me… My Ma and Pa have been real supportive of me and Abel – and I know yours will be too."

"But I wanna stop hearing it," Wren repeated, looking rather frustrated.

Daisy gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You can't, not really – but it's okay, Wren, I promise. It's not that bad after a while – it gets a lot easier."

The four-year-old looked rather put-out. "Oh."

"You're gonna be okay, Wren," Her cousin promised firmly. "And if you ever wanna talk, then just let me know – even when I'm back at Hogwarts, just send me an owl and I'll answer as soon as I can. Deal?"

Wren hesitated for a moment, clearly unsure – but then she smiled brightly, seemingly reassured. "Okay, I will. Thanks, Daisy; you're the best cousin in the whole world!"

Daisy couldn't help but grin to herself, a laugh bubbling out of her as she hugged her younger cousin tightly.

* * *

Put quite bluntly, Wren was rather disheartened by the realization that she wasn't quite like her siblings – that she was somewhat strange and odd. She had noticed that her brothers and sister seemed guarded around her, that they were trying to protect their thoughts, and she felt even worse for it because she _knew_ she was intruding on something that should be private but she couldn't help it. It came like blinking, like hearing, and it _wasn't_ her fault – she just wished her family understood that.

It was a couple of weeks later, just after Phoenix and Linnet had both returned to Hogwarts, and the two younger Scamanders were assisting their father in the case. It hadn't escaped Newt's notice that his youngest daughter was more withdrawn than usual, sitting near the Niffler's den and looking down at her skirt thoughtfully; once Leo was occupied with feeding the Mooncalves on the other side of the case, he made his way over to her.

"Hello, Wren." She didn't even look up when he knelt down in front of her, and he forced himself to smile. "You're very quiet today – I suppose you're keeping the Niffler company?"

Wren gave a small shrug, still avoiding his eyes.

"I see. Well, you'll have to make sure he doesn't get loose," Newt mused. "After all, I don't think Mummy would be too happy if he stole her things again." She didn't even smile, still not looking at him, and he found himself wishing he knew what he _could_ say. "Wren, if something's the matter then you can tell me."

"No," Wren mumbled, voice weak. "No, I can't, you'll get cross and hate me."

"I could never hate you," He said immediately, appalled by this. "And I promise I won't get cross – I won't. Come on, what's so bad that you can't tell me?"

She finally raised her head, clearly uncertain and anxious. "I don't wanna hear anything anymore – it makes everyone unhappy 'cause they know I can hear it. I don't want everyone unhappy 'cause of me."

Newt sighed, sitting down beside her. "I'm sorry. I know that this is very difficult – we're all finding it difficult."

"Thinking is s'posed to be private," Wren told him sadly. "That's what Phoenix thought before he went back to school – but it's not private 'cause I can hear it. It's bad for me to hear it… _I'm_ bad."

"Don't be silly," He dismissed, shaking his head. "You're _not_ bad at all – you're kind and thoughtful and…and very compassionate, just like your Mummy. You're far from bad. Hearing private thoughts, yes, is very inconvenient for the rest of us, I'll admit, but it's not your fault; we all know that you can't stop it, and we don't love you any less for it."

She still looked very unsure, even a bit confused. "But…But…"

"I don't mind you hearing, if that helps," Newt informed her quietly. "I won't get upset if you hear what I think…I can't promise you I've got very interesting thoughts, but if you start reading what I think then I won't stop you."

He was still rather prickly about Queenie doing it, admittedly, but this was different; he knew Wren had no control over it, that it might take some time for her to control it, and he knew he could never get angry with her over something like that.

She seemed to read that he was being genuine about this, that he really meant it, for she suddenly embraced him and buried her face into his waistcoat. "Thank you, Daddy. I was scared 'cause I thought you would…you wouldn't…"

"Wren, I love you no matter what," Newt murmured gently, giving her a squeeze. "Me and Mummy both love you no matter what, and nothing will change that. Alright?" She gave a nod, still nestled into him. "Now then – would a ride on a Graphorn make you feel better?"

Wren's face lit up as she pulled away, clearly cheered up by this. "Yes please, Daddy!"

Perhaps riding Graphorns (even tamed ones) wasn't the safest activity for children – but when she smiled like that, eyes bright, he knew he'd made the right decision really.

* * *

"You need to stop comparing the two of us," Queenie tutted, shaking her head at her sister. "Honest, Teen, I dunno how many times I can tell you this but I'll say it again anyway… You're _not_ a terrible mother and, yeah, it's okay to be overwhelmed."

Tina huffed. "Stop reading my mind."

"Stop thinking you're a bad mother," Queenie retorted, but she was smiling fondly as she sat down. "And another thing: it's okay when you tell _me_ to stop reading your mind 'cause I can take it – are you gonna say that to Wren?"

"No," Tina answered immediately, trying not to go pink. "I mean, that's different – she's four, she can't help it."

"Neither can I," Her sister reminded her good-naturedly. "But you're right, it's worse when you're that little. Look, Teen, being overwhelmed about this doesn't make you a worse mother than me – it just means you're overwhelmed."

Tina still looked somewhat guilty. "Yeah, but it's worse for her than for me – she's the one actually dealing with it."

"You're all dealing with it," Queenie corrected. "It don't just affect her: it affects you, Newt, her brothers and sister…when you're a family, you share that kinda thing. She seemed happy when Newt brought her over yesterday – I wouldn't sweat it, Teen, honest. You're all doing a great job."

They were silent for a moment as this sunk in; finally, Tina rested her head on her hand and looked down at the table somewhat longingly. "I still wish Mama was here, you know."

"Oh, Teenie…so do I," Queenie agreed, her smile now sad as she reached for her sister's hand. "I miss Mama and Papa every day; I wish that they were with us to see our kids. They would have loved them, all of them, spoilt them rotten… I think that they would have loved Newt and Jacob too, you know."

She squeezed her sister's hand back, forcing herself to smile too. "Yeah, I think they would have too. Sometimes I…I dunno, I just wish I was more like Mama, you know? I mean, you're just like her and I'm…I'm…"

"You're just like Papa," The blonde finished. "He would have been real proud of you, Teen, I just know it: becoming an Auror, doing all of these great things to help people… He and Ma would have _both_ been proud."

Tina didn't want to get tearful at this, she really didn't; instead she cleared her throat and looked away. "Yeah, well…I wish they were here, now especially – they would have known what to do."

"Maybe. But I think we're both doing okay," Queenie decided positively. "Don't think too much, Teen: you don't give yourself nearly enough credit for all the wonderful things you do. Wren will be fine, I know it, because she's got so much support. Don't worry."

Despite herself and the situation, Tina found herself grinning half-heartedly. " _Worrying means you suffer twice_."

* * *

 **Guess who is tired and done with everything and life? (it's me) There were probably things I should have added in this A/N but it's 2am and I've stopped thinking properly.**


End file.
